The Buffalo Bills will play the New England Patriots at home at Highmark Stadium in Week 16.
The Bills (11-3) are looking to stay hot after beating the Detroit Lions last week, the NFC's No. 1 seed. The Bills have won eight of their previous nine games. The Patriots (3-11) enter the game on a four-game losing streak.
The Bills are favored by 14 points. It will be the first meeting between the Bills and Patriots this season. The Bills won the last matchup 27-21 in Week 18 of last year.
Even though the Patriots have three wins this year, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Buffalo will need to execute its game plan to pick up its 12th win of the year.
With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 16:
Given that the Patriots offensive line has struggled constantly this year, rookie quarterback Drake Maye has had to be in scramble more than he'd like. Without a consistent push in the running game or protection to get the ball out in the passing game, Maye has done what Josh Allen did at the beginning of his career. He's putting the offense into his own hands and trying to make something positive happen with his legs.
The off-script playing style that Maye provides works at times, too. From Weeks 6 to 13, Maye has averaged 41.6 rushing yards per game. The Bills would be wise to keep an eye on him leaving the pocket.
The Bills' defensive line has struggled at times against the run. If the Patriots are able to get a running game going, it would make things a lot easier for their rookie QB in a hostile road environment. But even with the Bills' inconsistencies on their defensive line, that is a tall task for New England.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Patriots have the worst starting offensive line in the NFL heading into Week 16.
If the Bills' defensive line plays up to its potential, stopping the run and pressuring Maye in the passing game, then the Bills should take care of business in Week 16 by attacking the worst offensive line in the league.
In lopsided matchups like the one we'll see in Week 16 (Bills favored by 14), the thing that can hurt you the most is if you don't take care of the ball. No matter how much better a team is than another, if you give the lesser team a few extra opportunities it can cause issues. One way the Bills can make sure they walk out of Week 16 with a win is by not turning it over.
For the Bills, that means continuing to do what they have all season. They are currently tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the best turnover differential in the NFL (+18).